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Venango County

Venango Conservation District , Venango County; $ 4,500

Funded by: LWVPA-CEF WREN Project, Watershed Protection Project 2005-2006
Project Title: Oil City Storm Drain Stenciling and Non-point Source Pollution Education Program
Area to be protected: Allegheny River
Partners: City of Oil City, Venango Catholic High School, Boy Scout Troop 17-Oil City, Freshwater Ecology Class at Oil City High School
Focus:  hold stormdrain stenciling events and distribute doorhangers to show homeowners and the business community how adopting new behaviors can reduce the amount of nonpoint source pollution entering the Oil Creek and the Allegheny River.

Contact: Lance A. Bowes, (814) 676-2832,  lbowes@cescowildblue.com

French Creek Project (PA Environmental Council), Erie, Crawford, Mercer & Venango counties; $ 4,871

Funded by: LWVPA-CEF WREN Project, Watershed Protection Project 2005-2006
Project Title: Meadville Stormwater Best Management Practices Educational Project
Area to be protected: French Creek Watershed
Partner: City of Meadville
Focus:  hold a “Better Stormwater Management Through Site Design” Workshop based on PA Dept of Environmental Protection’s Stormwater Manual. The workshop, aimed especially at municipal officials, will use a Stormwater BMP demonstration site developed by the partnership. Armed with resources to adequately review and critique proposed land development projects within the watershed, nonpoint source pollution from stormwater within the French Creek watershed can be reduced.

Contact: Mark Gorman, (814) 332-2946, mgorman@pecpa.org

Venango Conservation District, Venango County, $2,450

Funded by: LWVPA-CEF WREN Project, Watershed Protection Project 2003-2004
Project Title: Venango County Watershed Conference
Area(s) to be protected: French Creek, Oil Creek, and Sandy Creek watersheds
Partners: Venango County Commissioners, Vanango Campus of Clarion University, and Oil Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited
Focus: develop and host a county wide conference and site tour of watershed improvement projects and to create a three dimensional macro invertebrate display board and other educational displays to be used by organizations in the county for educational programs which include raising awareness about nonpoint source pollution prevention
Contact: Lance Bowes, 814-676-2832, email:  lbowes@cescowildblue.com

Venango Museum of Art, Science and Industry, Venango County

Funded by LWVPA-CEF WREN Project
Coalition Partners: Penn Soil Resource Conservation and Development Council, Confluence Ecological, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Venango County Conservation District
Contact: Barbara Perlstein, 814-676-2007
Grant: $ 3,000

Focus: This project had several objectives:

1) To solicit the local concerns from the general public and the municipalities on the Big Scrubgrass Creek Watershed;
(2) To conduct two seminars within the watershed, one to allow concerns to be voiced and the second to present the developed plan for evaluation and review by the public; and
(3) To create a display illustrating water quality related problems.

Accomplishments:

• Held two public meetings to gather information and discuss concerns about local resource issues.
• A slide show was produced and presented at the public meeting.
• Produced and disseminated brochures that listed current issues and concerns, solicited additional input, and provided contact information.
• Developed two static displays, one for use at the Museum; the other for use at various locations during related local events.
• Developed a website.

Successes, Obstacles, and Unanticipated Outcomes - Success: Those involved in the project actively participated. Obstacle: Involvement by municipalities and interest of local paper was much less than anticipated.